Song of Greysent
by Ceireavne
Summary: In a humanless time, a Rhydon named Evander finds himself traveling across Greysent Island, his only companion a young Arcanine by the name of Cassie. Without the humans' imposed order, the island's wildlife has descended into ferality. Fighting together for their very lives, the two find themselves drawn into a budding romance. Rated M for lemons.
1. Prologue

_A few quick notes for my readers: this isn't my first short story, but this is the first thing I've posted on this site. Moreover, I'm not the best at writing in this genre. So, please take the time to leave a review. I'd love to hear some constructive criticism. As of January 17th, I posted the last installments in this story. Despite the joys of writing a fic, I am a poet by nature, and long-term commitments don't entirely agree with me, hehe... in fact, I'm fairly surprised this ended up being as long as it did! Right, did I forget to mention that I don't own Pokemon? Anyways, I hope you enjoy the read as much as I enjoyed writing it!_

* * *

In just a week, things changed had so much on Greysent Island. Well—if push came to shove, I'd have to say that things have been moving this way all along. However, it only recently became obvious. See, Greysent used to be a well-off island. It never had much of a tourist industry, but there was quite a rush after the place was discovered to be rich in various ores. After that, humans began strip-mining the land and building refineries to process their spoils. It'd been this way as long as any of us Pokemon could remember. But I always understood, deep down, that their time was limited, that things would go back to the way they once were.

The earth itself was sick, with its ores ravaged and its air polluted. It was only a matter of time before she made an effort to fix things. The day that happened, the centerpiece of the island, Mt. Grey, erupted. I remember the shocked look on everyone's faces—they hadn't understood, like I had, that this was long in the coming. No lava, no magma—Grey herself shook the ground and exhaled colossal volumes of fine black dust into the sky.

That black dust was the end of Greysent's human problem. While a good handful of us Pokemon have evolved to survive the horrors of nature, the humans weren't so lucky. The smarter ones left on boats as soon as seismic readings increased—at least_ they_ had a chance. The dumber ones tried to tough it out, but even with ventilation masks, the fine dust found its way into their lungs. All the disdain and scorn they'd fed the earth was there, coming full-circle. It was a poison, sapping away their lives as they'd done to Greysent for so long.

I remember how shocked Theisen was when it happened, how apparent the fear was to see on his face. Yeah, I miss him... but the way things are, they just feel so right. Deep in my bones, I understand the way Grey feels, and I know things are better this way.

Even so, humans have a tendency to bring order to nature. Without them, things have all but started going to hell. Greysent's days are lost in a pall of twilight, and her nights are the stuff of nightmares. Many of the Pokemon that had survived the catastrophe became feral, cunning, and nefarious. To survive here on Greysent has come to mean to be the fittest, the strongest. Believe me, I had quite a bit of experience battling alongside Theisen. Still, without humans, there are no rules here. If I weren't so cock-sure, I would probably feel a little anxiety about the entire situation. As for now, I'm trying to take things as they come, enjoying life the way Grey would want me to.

Yeah, it's difficult to only be able to trust yourself. That's why I'm grateful that there's one other left that I can count on. Like me, she's one of Theisen's legacies. An Arcanine by the name of Cassie. She still acts like a bit of a pup sometimes, and she's a bit scrawny for her breed, but she's the fastest thing on Greysent Island. To be honest, she can be a bit uptight now and then, and she worries too much for her own good. She can be a bit of a pain in the ass, but if anything, it's worth it to be watching out for her... for Theisen's sake.


	2. Chapter 1

Another dark morning, distinguishable from night mostly by sound. At night, one can hear the predators' howls, or the cadence of singing insects. During the day, it was eerily quiet. That silence seemed as oppressive as daytime's recent cloak of twilight._ No matter. I see just as well in darkness or light, and a lack of white noise makes detecting incoming threats easier, _I thought to myself.

"Evander, we should get moving," Cassie said to me. It might've been my imagination, but her voice sounded almost nagging. She was right, though. It wouldn't be any safer to stay here than to keep moving.

"We'll be going west, right? Farther from the remnants of the city?"

She nodded, looking away from me. Though she hadn't said anything, I could tell—Cassie hadn't come to terms with Theisen's absence the same way that I had. She still missed him strongly, but there really wasn't anything I could do for her.

"Then let's get going, Cassie." I tried to sound reassuring, but without much success.

Again, she nodded. The two of us rose from the forest undergrowth and struck west at an easy jog. I could tell that Cassie was being easy on me, not even running at a fraction of her full speed. Generally, I stand on my hind legs, but to keep up with her, I had to run on all fours.

Shortly, the forest yielded to rockier ground, though we kept our bearing. I smiled inwardly—rocky terrain was much more comfortable than forest. It required less agility to navigate... and ended in less demolished greenery.

After a good portion of the morning had passed, we finally stopped to break. There was a shallow creek to drink from—not clean enough for the like of humans, but more than satisfactory for us. The two of us drank our fill, then set to rummaging for lunch.

I hadn't made it far from our stopping point once lunch was acquired. All I had managed to find was leaves and berries—not particularly filling after a hike like we'd just been on. Cassie, however, brought back two Bidoof, their necks broken.

"That was fast," I snickered.

With an elegant bow, she dropped one of the rodents before me, then set to her meal. I did likewise, enjoying it more than I expected I would.

"I guess it's true that anything tastes good when you're hungry," I said to my companion.

She peered at me curiously, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with eating raw Bidoof. "Eat up, Evander. You need the energy," she said around a mouthful of meat.

I allowed myself a snicker in response. "Thanks for breakfast, Cassie. Appreciate it."

Again, she paused in her meal to peer at me. It seemed she was about to say something, but she must have thought otherwise. Without another thought, she was back to her breakfast.

It was the moments like_ that_ when I plain didn't know what to think of Cassie.

After we had finished eating and drank some more water, we started off once again. We had to stop again before long, though it wasn't intentional this time.

Before us were three Krookodile, looking like ugly reptiles. They obviously weren't interested in playing games with us.

Cassie slowed to a halt, but I wasn't interested in hearing our new friends out. Still running on all fours, I ground my feet hard into the ground, accelerating into the first foe. Catching him by surprise, I ripped into him with my horn, tossing him as far I could. The reptile landed a good distance away, limp. Rearing up on my hind legs, I turned to the other two and roared.

The two of them growled, lunging at me. I dodged the teeth of the first, but the second took hold of my left arm with his vice-like jaws.

Grappled by one of the foes, his partner intended shortly to flank me, taking me out.

Before he could, Cassie made her move. Light of foot as she ran, it was as though she was flying on invisible wings: like a lightning bolt, she was upon the reptile, sprawling him across the ground. He was up shortly, baring his teeth at her.

"You'll pay for that, bitch!" he grated venomously.

"Let's see you make me," she glared at him. Shifting her weight, Cassie poised herself, preparing for his next move.

My stomach did a somersault. I really didn't mind being hit two-to-one, or even that there was an overgrown alligator hanging off of my arm. One wrong move, however, and this battle could go south—did Cassie realize how much danger she was in right now?

I turned to the annoying prick on my arm, gritting my teeth. "I don't have time for you," I growled at him.

Drawing back my right arm, I slammed my fist into his ribs. With his feet knocked out from him, I rotated clockwise, pulling his jaws downward with my left arm. As he fell to the ground, I laid into him with my heavy tail, crushing the breath out of him. Gasping for air, he finally let go of my arm. I stomped once on his ribs for good measure before turning to the last of our friends.

"Scram before I get any more pissed off," I said, seething.

Ignoring me, he lunged for Cassie. Like a gust of wind, she blitzed away from his teeth, poised for a counterattack.

"Let me handle him!" I yelled at her.

Her hardened gaze turned from him to me, softening. "You sure?"

"Yeah," I said, cracking my knuckles.

Cassie nodded to me. "He's all your's, then."

"Alright. Stand clear, wouldja?"

In a flash, she had distanced herself from the two of us, leaving the Krookodile me to contend with.

"Stick to the sand, lizard," I snarled at him.

"Oi, as soon as I fuck you up, your friend is next," he glowered. Though he was seething as well as I was, I couldn't be bothered to notice.

He raised a clawed fist, then powered it into the ground. A strong tremor fed through the earth, cracking opening a fissure in the rock around me. Despite my best effort, I lost my footing, falling among the rocks into the earth. Not just rocks, but darkness engulfed me.

* * *

Fear gripped my breast, but not nearly as much as bitter anger did. I wanted to rip that bastard reptile's throat out with my fangs, I wanted to shred him to pieces. But even that wouldn't be bringing back Evander from an attack like that.

"You're next, little darlin'," he said, licking his lips at me.

Glaring at him, I felt shivers run up my back.

"You know, you're pretty cute. Maybe I'll keep you as a pet and have some fun with you," he mused.

"Don't touch me," I growled at him.

"Or what?" he asked, advancing towards me.

"Just try it," I said with more confidence than I truly felt.

"Yeah?" he asked, still advancing.

Right then, I paused. I felt something from the earth under my feet. I could hear it, too. Confusion mingled with the rest of my thoughts—I didn't know what to do.

By the time the reptile could hear it as well, it was too late. A crack rang through the air as the ground near his feet split open.

Still confused, I felt something inside me stutter with excitement._ There he was_—Evander reached up through the cracked earth, grabbing the reptile's ankle. In another instant, he'd pulled his foe underground. The Krookodile let out a despaired shriek, and after another shudder of the earth—silence.

I walked over to the hole Evander had made, looking down into it.

"Ev? You alright?" I asked, not knowing if he could hear me.

Still silence.

"Ev, this isn't funny. Come on out, okay?"

_There—I could feel it._ I backed away from the hole, the ground again rumbling beneath my feet. Evander climbed out, not exactly graceful, but still in one piece. I breathed a sigh of relief, but confusion still seemed to be clouding my mind.

The Rhydon heaved a heavy breath, looking up at me. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he looked past me.

"Cassie, behind you—"

The hair on my neck stood on end and my muscles tensed. I let my instinct take over, dashing forward, spinning to see the second Krookodile that Evander had downed.

"Not had enough of him yet, eh? Then how about a piece of me!" I barked.

I took off, crashing into him at top speed and sprawling him on the ground. In a heartbeat, I was above him, ready to complete the deed. His breaths were ragged—Evander's earlier stomping had probably punctured one of the reptile's lungs. Even so, there was no beseeching in his eyes, no plea for mercy.

_Good_. With a swift lunge, I ripped out his throat. I spat the flesh away, nauseated by the idea of such unclean meat.

_That was that. We're done now—hopefully. We've got to be. Oh, Ev—how's he doing?_

Looking over to him, I saw the large Rhydon lying on the ground, breathing heavily.

I ran to his side immediately. "Ev, are you okay?!" I begged.

A long sigh, and then, "Yeah. Uuugh, yeah... I'll be okay."

"Thank the heavens," I said softly. "I'll go see if I can't find us a place to rest for the night, okay?"

He didn't bother responding, but I knew he liked the idea.

After scouting around and finding an abandoned cave, I helped Evander make his way to our haven for the night. He was asleep before I could gather brush to make a bed for him. Laying down beside him, I was soon asleep, too.


	3. Chapter 2

I woke up feeling a lot better than I had intended to. It was dark, now the middle of the night. I was lying on my side, aching more than I remembered having ached in a long time.

Still, there was something incredibly comforting about this moment, despite the cool of the night. I let out a long breath, and a warm body next to me stirred. It was Cassie, her svelte canid body curled up beside me. I absently ran my hand down her back, to which she responded by licking it.

My witts slowly came about me, and coming with them I felt some form of frustration.

"Dammit, Cassie," I sighed.

"Ev, you're okay?" she asked, again licking my hand.

"You could have... Cassie, you could have been hurt."

"Shut up," she growled at me. "You almost got yourself killed."

"The situation was under my control the whole time," I said indignantly.

"I don't want to hear it, Evander," she said, snorting hot air onto my hand.

Sitting up, I mustered as best of a glare as I could.

She rolled her eyes, rising to her feet and returning the glare tenfold.

"Lay your ass down and get some rest, Evander," she told me sternly.

"Cassie,_ you_ are the one that—"

In an instant, she'd pinned me against the cave's wall. "Evander, I don't want to gorramn hear it!" she barked.

I could see the anger in her face—she wasn't about to let me win this argument. Moreover, I didn't have the strength to push her off of me. To be honest, though, I'm not sure I wanted to.

"Cassie, you look... lovely when you are angry," I muttered absently.

"Evander, what?" she asked, still annoyed.

"Err, dammit. Forget I said that," I told her, feeling heat rising in my cheeks.

"Ev, you said... you just said that I am lovely," she replied, her countenance softening.

My stomach did a little somersault, seeing such a sweet expression on her face.

"Yeah, well I only said it cos it's true," I muttered.

She shifted her weight, now only leaning on me. "I don't care, Ev," she said, now pouting.

"... why not, Cassandra?"

"_Don't_ call me that, Evander," she said, tears forming at the corners of her glaring eyes.

"Don't call you what?"

"Only Theisen called me that!" she snapped back.

"And Theisen isn't here anymore... Cassandra."

"Don't_ make_ me kick your ass, Evander. Now get some damned rest," she warned me.

"Cassie, as lovely as you are when you're angry... you're even cuter when you're upset," I said quietly, wiping a tear from her eye.

"I'm serious, Evander!"

"So tell me, how is a pretty Arcanine like yourself going to kick my ass?" I mused, moving to push her off.

Cassie caught my hand with her teeth, a sensation barely noticeable through my rock hide.

Still glaring at me, she let out an exasperated sigh. The heat of her breath ran over my claws, my hand. A tingle ran along my arm, sending a shiver down my spine.

Leaning on me still, she let out another breath—this one less exasperated than it was tired and sullen. Again, a shiver ran down my spine, and I began squirming in her grasp.

Letting go of my hand, she giggled softly—almost mischievously. Her face softened, and she leaned in, pressing her maned head against my chest.

"Hey, Ev?" she asked, more mildly.

"What, Cassie?"

At that, she lifted her head and began running her hot tongue down my chest. Once again, the warm sensation struck a nerve, making me shiver.

"Oh hell, Cassie, what're you doing?" I asked, not honestly wanting her to quit.

Without a word, she kept running her tongue down my chest, making her way to my abdomen.

She stopped before striking gold, instead skipping below, to my balls. Starting with one, she began licking and massaging it with her tongue before switching to the other.

My breath caught in my lungs and I squirmed once more, albeit halfheartedly. I could feel my hardening cock, the excitement rising in my belly—and I had no willpower to stop any of it.

Done with my testes, her gaze exchanged between my face and my stiffened member. She smirked satisfactorily at my easily apparent arousal. "Ev... I am going to run your ass_ ragged_ if it's the last thing I do tonight," she whispered huskily. "And maybe then... we can get some damned sleep," she said, grinning.

She began running her tongue along the base of my long, spined shaft, licking up and down its sides with her rough tongue.

"Dammit, Cassie," I gasped.

The Arcanine glanced at me with another smirk. "Oh, Ev... what happened to that tough hide of yours? Not doing its job?"

Without missing a beat, she was back to work, making her way up my long member, stopping right outside its sensitive head. With a seductive glance from her brown eyes, she began licking the precum off the end of it.

I groaned in pleasure, wishing she'd quit being such a tease.

"Hey, Ev..." she said, pausing from her pleasure-making, "tell me again..." Once more, she licked tip of my dick. "... just how lovely," another lick—I squirmed underneath her. "... you think I am." She paused again, this time longer, as she looked up at me with her warm chocolate eyes. I wanted to get lost inside of them._ That, or maybe lose my dick down her throat._

"The sweetest, most lovely, sexiest woman I have ever met... Cassandra," I barely managed to gasp.

She smiled at me, then turned her attention back to my cock. Slowly, she slid the tip of it into her mouth. I moaned, writhing underneath her. She leaned harder on me, making sure I wasn't going anywhere.

Agonizingly slowly, she began moving both her mouth and her tongue up and down my hard member, sucking and licking it. I could feel the pleasure inside of me starting to rise and I wanted to spill it all into her hot mouth.

My hips bucked forward involuntarily. Cassie growled in response, pressing me harder against the cave's wall—as if to say,_ I'm in control here._

"Aah, Cassie," I managed, "please... keep going."

She withdrew, again pausing from her pleasure-making.

"And after you're finished?" she asked, glaring at me.

"I—I'll get some rest, I promise," I begged.

"Good, Evander. That's the last I want to hear of this discussion." Her gaze softened as she again licked the tip of my dick, enjoying the taste of my precum.

Once more, she slipped it into her mouth, working her magic spell on me. Like before, she began moving up and down, this time faster. The heat of her mouth and tongue made me writhe with pleasure, and I could feel in my stomach that I was close to the edge.

"Cassie, I'm almost—" I started.

As if to make her point, she began working even faster, moving my cock deeper into her mouth, stimulating it from tip to near the base of its spiny shaft.

"Aghh—Cassie!" I cried out.

Again, my hips bucked forward, but she pushed down in return, accepting my member deep into her hot throat. I shot my fluid out, engulfed in ecstasy.

After greedily swallowing the first round, she moved my dick from her throat to the front of her mouth. She caressed the tip of it with her tongue, sucking down every drop she could.

"Cassie, oh hell—" My sight was phasing in and out, I was seeing stars.

Finally, Cassie removed my cock from her mouth. Seeing another few drops of cum I'd yet to give, she continued licking the tip of my member, teasing them out. I shuddered another time, moaning once more.

_She just kicked my fucking ass, didn't she?_

Cassie looked up at my face with her big brown eyes, licking her lips. The knowing look in her glance told me,_ Yes, I did just kick your ass. End of argument._

She lifted her weight off of me and I slid down the side of the cave's wall, exhausted. At that, Cassie circled once, curling up next to me, close enough to share with me her body heat.

"G'night Evander," she said mildly.

With a content sigh, she signaled it was time to go to sleep. I wasn't about to argue.


	4. Chapter 3

Sleep was well met that night, and the both of us woke well-rested. Part of me was still concerned about Evander. _Yeah, he has a constitution like a rock, but he has so small a sense of self-preservation._ Honestly, I was still somewhat frustrated with him.

Ultimately, though, I was glad that I could count on Evander. We were partners, after all.

"You up for another day of running, Ev?" I asked him cheerfully.

The great Rhydon stood to his feet, stretching. "O'course, Cassie. Just try not to get too far ahead of me. I'm still a bit sore from that battle yesterday."

I grinned at him. "Yeah. You did great, Ev."

"It was nothing, really."

"Nonsense. You protected me," I told him sincerely.

He snickered in response. "Well, someone's got to, right?"

"Keep up the smack talk, now get to running and we'll see who's the dead weight," I replied snarkily.

The two of us got going, our pace a jog similar to the day before. Running at a small fraction of my capacity, I sort of just let my mind wander. Glancing sidelong at Evander, I knew he was doing the same.

_Evander... I still remember what happened last night._ Looking at the rhinoceros-like Pokemon, I couldn't help but think that he was a rather handsome specimen.

_Get real, Cassie. He doesn't remember any of it—or at least he hasn't said as much. Don't worry about it, though... he's your partner, and there's no room for that relationship to change. What happened last night... it got him to shut up and sleep, and that's what he needed._

Still, a part of me couldn't quite believe there was nothing personal about it. That part of me was frustrated.

_Give him a chance, Cassie. He was out of it, he wasn't himself. It's possible that his memory of last night is escaping him. Maybe one of these days you can bring it up. Surely he'll—_

With my mind wandering, I had barely noticed the air around us was swirling with snowflakes. I slowed my pace, Evander doing likewise.

"Ev, it shouldn't be snowing, should it?" I asked him.

"No, not this far south on Greysent," he replied, not meeting my gaze.

"We should keep going, right?"

"Yeah, but I get a feeling we might be meeting more friends like we did yesterday," he growled.

"Oh," I said quietly. Turning straight ahead, I bit my lip and focused my thoughts.

A hundred paces later, we sighted the culprit of our flash-snowstorm. It was a Mamoswine, standing almost two feet taller than Evander and at least several hundred pounds heavier. I glanced sidelong at my companion, not feeling entirely confident about confronting the mammoth-like creature.

Spotting us, the beast planted his staunch legs apart and narrowed his eyes in our direction.

Evander took off like he usually did, charging the beast for all he was worth. The Mamoswine threw his incredible bulk at Evander, breaking his charge and sending him skidding through the snow.

"Evander!" I blurted out.

"Evander, eh?" the Mamoswine sneered. "Hope you didn't get yourself a little bruise from that, Evvie."

"Don't worry about that. I'm a bit of a roughhouser myself," my companion growled, taking once again to his feet. With that, he lunged at the large beast, striking its thick hide with his rock fist.

The mammoth-creature laughed darkly at Evander's glancing blow. "What, can't you hit any harder than that?" Again, he threw his weight into Evander, once more sending him flying several meters.

"You're damned lucky that I'm so tough, or I'd be pissed by now," Evander glowered at his opponent, rising to his feet.

Judging by the dark cast of his eyes, Evander was getting more than aggravated. I felt my stomach catch in my throat—I found myself worrying about the situation... worrying about him.

No longer laughing, the Mamoswine glared malevolently at Evander. "Oh? Well let's see if you're tough enough for this!"

Inhaling deeply, the beast opened his gaping jaws and began blowing cold air toward Evander. Small crystals in the air began twisting, forming a solid icicle in front of his mouth. Then he let out a thunderous shout, firing the projectile at Evander. Diving sideways, Evander was still grazed by the deadly icicle—with a resounding crash, he landed length-wise on the ground.

Grasping his injured side, Evander let out a disoriented roar. I felt my pulse quickening, and my vision began reddening.

"Oh, looks like our little rocky friend wasn't so tough after all. Let's see you take another icicle crash from me," the Mamoswine said darkly. "I promise I won't miss next time."

The prehistoric beast opened his gaping jaws once again, beginning to inhale.

With a fierce snarl, I lunged forward—in a split second, I was upon the heavy beast. With as much speed as I could muster, I rammed into the bastard, splaying him across the snow. He was up shortly, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Ah, you brought a friend, Rhydon. I'll have to put her in her place," he growled.

Poising myself for battle, I glared at the fearsome beast. "We'll see who ends up regretting this fight," I barked at him.

With a warcry, the mammoth-creature charged at me—I leapt to the side, easily dodging his blow. "What's wrong, can't keep up?" I snarled at him.

"Keep trash talking, bitch. I guarantee you'll regret it," he glowered at me.

With that, he planted his feet, bracing himself to fire another icicle—this time at me.

My focus was broken by a roar—but not the Mamoswine's.

_Evander!_ He lunged toward the heavy beast, grabbing the mammoth-creature's jutting tusks. With a defiant yell, Evander heaved our shocked foe sidelong, still holding his jaws wide open. "Cassie, take him out!" he yelled at me.

In a single bound, I was upon the two of them. I knew what I had to do—what it was Evander meant. Our foe was an icy monstrosity, and Arcanine like me had a way of dealing with ice.

I wanted to bury the bastard, to revenge the wound sustained by Evander. Summoning all the anger within me, I listened to the fire burning within my blood, the rising cacophony of my pounding heart.

Looking him in the eye, I felt it, like with the Krookodile the day before. He wanted no mercy, nor did he need it. Calling to the flames burning in my belly, I opened my mouth and launched a hellish inferno at the bastard.

Terror seized him as I smothered him with the fire of my hatred, and he began squealing and thrashing. With a loud crash, Evander slammed the large beast back down, pinning him in the trap of my flames. Longer and longer, I sustained the dread inferno, until the Mamoswine had stopped struggling, until he had altogether stopped moving.

"It's finished," I said quietly.

"Good riddance," Evander said weakly.

I glanced at him, alarmed. "Ev, you've been hurt!'

"Err, it's only a scratch," he said, not even managing to convince himself.

I could see plainly enough: his hide was cracked and greyed where the icicle had grazed him. My stomach turned with nausea, almost making me sick.

"Stay put. I'll find us a safer place to rest for the night," I told him, trying to keep calm.

Before I'd even finished my sentence, I was gone. It wasn't long before I'd found a rocky overhang suitable enough, whereafter I helped carry my companion there.

Laying him down, I tried to make him comfortable. Though the storm outside had broken, it was still cold. Curling up beside him, I did what I could, sharing my body heat with him. Like the night before, it wasn't long before the both of us were sound asleep.


	5. Chapter 4

_That night, I dreamt about Cassie. She was with me in some safe and warm place, probably another cave._

"Looks like you're doing better, Ev," she said, peering at me.

I nodded to her. "I don't know that I've felt better."

She smiled seductively at me. "Would you like for me to fix that?"

I grinned at her. "That sounds like a challenge," I responded huskily.

"Oh, don't worry about that," she said, leaning into me. "I can make you feel wonderful."

"Cassie, have I told you how amazing you are?"

She narrowed her gaze, those big brown eyes meeting mine. And then she leaned in, kissing me on the mouth.

Likewise, I leaned into her, returning the kiss. Pressing my mouth against hers, I let her hot tongue inside, enjoying the feeling of it brushing against my tongue and the roof of my mouth.

Running my hands down her back, I made my way to her flank, grasping her butt fixedly.

Still leaning into me, Cassie wrapped her front legs around my neck, pressing into our kiss even more firmly. Our physical closeness was making my blood boil, and I began to feel my member filling with pressure.

As it began to press against the Arcanine's leg, she broke from our kiss long enough to leer seductively at me. "My my, Evander... you seem so excited tonight..." she punctuated her statement, biting my neck roughly.

"You have _no_ idea, Cassie."

"Oh?" she said, running her rough tongue along my neck. "Then why don't you show me_ just_ how excited you are, Ev," she whispered to me.

With that, she slid off of me, and turned around, presenting to me her fine canid assets. _That luxurious fur and her long, beautiful tail; her supple legs, her generous hips... and dat ass._

"Oh, you bad girl... I need to teach you some manners, don't I?" I said, grabbing a hold of her hips.

"Evander," she squealed, wiggling side to side in my grasp, "please, Evander, be gentle with me."

Then she lifted her tail, showing me her sex. It was swollen, and it smelled so incredibly sweet—she must have been in heat, which meant I had a job to do.

"Don't worry, Cassie... I won't be too rough," I growled seductively.

Aligning my hips with her, I placed the tip of my spiny dick next to her slit. The fur of her labia was a dark brown color, and it felt soft against my sensitive head.

I began rubbing the end of my throbbing member against her velveteen lips, making her squirm in my grasp.

"Oh, Evander," she moaned. "Fuck me, Evander!"

Without further coercion, I pushed forward into her wet, hot pussy.

* * *

_I remember dreaming about Cassie. I dreamt that the two of us—that we—_

_Wait... I remember now. I remember the day before—the two of us woke up in the middle of the night. We fought: me upset she endangered herself, she telling me to get my rest. After that, I told her how lovely she is... and she ended up... sucking me off._

As I came to, I realized that Cassie was already awake. I opened my eyes, seeing the Arcanine a short distance away from me.

"Good morning, Ev," she said, looking up from licking her tail.

"Morning, Cassie," I said, somewhat distractedly. "Err, what're you doing?"

She blinked at me as if unsure why I'd ask such a thing. "Well, there was a matted spot on my fur. Must've been some sap from when we were in the forest recently." Without another word, she continued licking her tail clean.

_Oh shit—the dream! I can't have just—_

"I—I see. Err, I'm starving," I said, changing the subject.

"Ok, sit tight, Ev. I'll go grab us something," Cassie said cheerfully. As she sauntered off, I was left with my thoughts..._ and that dream._

Between that dream and watching the Arcanine lick my..._ affections_... off of her tail, it was taking most of my self-control not to get another erection._ Hell, just watching those hips of hers sway while she walks..._

_But all of yesterday, she acted like nothing had happened._

_Evander, she sucked your dick. That counts for something._

_Right. Maybe I can... bring it up sometime. Not like I can think of anything more terrifying._

_That Cassie, though... she is a lady. The way she acts, how she talks... she is still so innocent. What she did the other night was a fluke. It had to have been. The real Cassie wouldn't act like the Cassie from my dream._

I leaned against the rock wall behind me, trying to relax my mind. Worrying about these things wouldn't accomplish much, after all.

* * *

_Evander, starving?—just goes to show that men are always thinking with their stomachs._

I giggled quietly to myself, trotting through the undergrowth silently.

At that, I was reminded of two nights before, when Evander and I had—

_ Well, when men aren't thinking with their stomachs..._

Again, I giggled, feeling my cheeks reddening slightly.

_Evander... when I get back, I will see if you haven't remembered yet._

A short distance away, I could hear a rumbling sound. Clearing my head of thoughts, I readied myself for action.

_Oh great. I guess Evander's meal will have to wait._

Not far off, a large Steelix burrowed out of the ground. The large metal monstrosity reared back, growling at me. My heart quivered slightly, looking at the thing. Instead of a shiny silver hide, the creature was rusted, covered in sickly red and brown.

_Rust? Why would he be rusted? Steelix is an earthen creature. Perhaps... was the condition of this Pokemon mirroring that of Greysent? Then maybe the island was still sick—like this monster. I need to get back and tell Evander!_

"Back off," I growled at him, poised to respond.

The colossal snake opened his gaping maw and roared, lunging at me with rusted teeth.

I sidestepped the attack with ease, finding a more advantageous ground.

Again, the metal beast lunged for me—I responded as before, leaping out of the way. As I landed, my paw stumbled on the rocky earth. The monster took advantage of my slip-up, slamming into me with his metal body. In a moment, he was binding me with his hard tail.

_Cassie, this isn't good. Get out of here, girl..._

_Easier said than done! After all, I've got a big red snake constricting me. A big... metal snake—one who obviously wouldn't enjoy a burst of flame in his face!_

As I had the day before, I spoke to the fire burning in my blood, listened to it. All the while, I felt myself growing dizzy, my circulation being cut off as the Steelix's body tightened around me. The steel beast roared, lunging once again, this time for the intended kill. To his surprise, I shot a bright orb of flames directly into the monster's gaping jaws, a flaming orb which shortly detonated.

The wounded monster roared, disoriented, and I took the opportunity to pry myself out of his red coils. Falling to the ground, I righted myself and bolted from the monster. Not having regained my composure, I tripped again, landing sidelong on the ground. I cursed my inward clumsiness, wishing I hadn't let myself get into this situation.

A roar cut through the air, and I recognized it immediately—_Evander!_ The large Rhydon blitzed toward me as fast as he could, all but ignoring the threat behind him.

"CASSIE!" he yelled, his deep red eyes shining.

By now, the red Steelix had reoriented, turning to face the two of us. With a roar, he lunged again, this time at my companion.

Like lightning, Evander spun around, planting his feet into the ground and grabbing the metal snake's open jaws. Having absorbed the impact of the blow, Evander let go of the beast and struck him with a solid uppercut, shattering the snake's jaw.

Shrieking in pain, the Steelix reared back, glaring at Evander. Then its tail glowed a bright red, and with all the malevolence he could muster, he sent it accelerating straight into the great Rhydon.

Like before, Evander grit his teeth and ground his feet into the solid earth, raising his arms to meet the blow. A large crack rang through the air, but Evander didn't seem to notice. Still seething, Evander countered the blow, a herculean punch that fractured one of the Steelix's body segments.

_He really... Evander's doing great. He's got this like... he's got this like he's always got things. And like always, he looks really handsome._

Finally, Evander moved in for the kill: with all of his might, he laid into the beast with his stony tail, a blow strong enough that it shook the earth beneath me.

Shattered along its entire length, the Steelix let out a final shriek and seized once before it died, landing on the stark earth with a resounding crash.

Then Evander turned to me, his face still hardened. "Cassie!" he said, more panicked than before. "Cassie..."

I tried to respond to him, but all that came out was a strangled cough.

_Don't worry, Evander. I'll be okay, I promise._

Barely able to lift my head, I looked into his eyes, trying to communicate... to reassure him that I would be alright. I could see that his eyes were welling with water, that he was trembling.

"Cassie, I need to get you back to our camp. You need to rest," Evander told me softly. Kneeling next to me, he stroked my cheek gently. "Cassie, can you walk?" he asked me, his voice still soft.

I lifted my head and licked his hand, which elicited a smile from the massive Rhydon.

With a grunt, he lifted me, holding me carefully in his arms as he made our way back to the rocky overhang we'd made camp at the night before.


	6. Chapter 5

I woke up feeling rested, but my head was still swimming. Judging by the sound of cicadas singing, it was night-time, which meant I'd slept most of the day.

_Good... I probably needed it._

_ What about Evander? Is he okay?_

Slowly opening my eyes, I saw that we were back at our camp. Still disoriented, I stretched, testing the condition of my muscles. I was still sore, but I would be alright—no broken bones or ruptured organs.

Evander, who'd been lightly dozing, stirred at my nearby movement.

Rising to my feet, I walked stiffly over to him, licking his face.

He chuckled absently, shoving me away. "Knock it off, Cassie."

I readied myself as if to pounce, grinning at him.

The Rhydon snorted at me. "Cassie... you need your rest," he said softly. Then, his face lit up: "Oh right—I got us dinner earlier," he said, gesturing to a nearby dead Sawsbuck. I could tell by its intact state that Evander hadn't eaten yet.

_Evander... how sweet. Seems you can take care of yourself after all... even without me._

Glancing back at him, I barked playfully. Still poised to pounce, I wagged my tail, enjoying myself.

Starting to get flustered, he stood up. "Cassie, what're you doing?" he asked, starting to sound more like himself.

"Later," I managed to croak.

Evander froze, looking somewhat alarmed. "Cassie, don't talk!"

Jumping onto him, I pressed my weight forward. Caught by surprise, he fell back to a sitting position with me in his lap. I snuggled closer to him, enjoying the physical contact.

"I'll... be fine," my voice cracked.

The rocky Pokemon seemed to relax a bit, and began absently stroking me along my maned neck.

Again, I wagged my tail, looking up at him. Though I was beginning to realize just how achy I was, I could feel my voice beginning to return. "Thank you, Ev," I said somewhat hoarsely.

He nodded quietly, still running his hand down my neck.

Not having made my point, I pressed my head against his broad chest, nuzzling him.

"Sorry, Cassie," he said in a hollow voice. "I should have been there sooner... to protect you," he said, looking at me.

"Don't worry, Ev," I said, returning his gaze. "You were perfect."

At that, the massive rock Pokemon sighed, me rising and sinking with his chest.

"Hey, Ev," I began quietly, "do you... do you remember..." I broke off, not sure we were actually about to have the conversation.

"Err, what?" he asked, looking something puzzled.

"Two nights ago," I said, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks. "Do you remember... what we did?" I asked quietly.

Evander paused in stroking my neck, instead resting his hand there. He looked at me with his deep red eyes, as if gazing into my heart.

"Yeah, Cassie... I remember," he whispered, barely audible.

My breath catching in my throat, I buried my face against his chest. I didn't know what to think, except that part of me felt ashamed.

Gently, I felt Evander wrap his arms around me. Considering his stony hide, his embrace felt... surprisingly warm. It wasn't soft, but it was comforting, grounding.

I let out a long breath, and I felt his arms squeeze me a little bit tighter.

"I just... I don't know—Ev, we're supposed to be partners, and you wouldn't rest like you needed to, and I didn't know..." I trailed off, still buried against his broad chest.

"I know, Cassie," he said softly.

"I'm sorry, Ev—I'm not like that. I'm never,_ never_ like that."

"I know, Cassie," he told me again.

"And now... I don't—I just don't know... what..." I trailed off again.

"You know," Evander started quietly, still holding me, "I meant every word I said."

Once more, I sighed. "Evander... what?" I asked, puzzled.

"I told you, Cassie, that you are... the most lovely, sweetest woman that I've ever met. Especially right now," he said, squeezing me fondly.

"But... I'm not, Ev. I'm just me... I'm just Cassie, I'm just regular, and immature, and I'm worthless in a fight, and I—"

"Dammit, Cassie," he teased softly. "You are so much more than that. You're so wrong about yourself. You are Cassandra, the beautiful Arcanine; Cassie, my wonderful friend and partner; and more than that, you are the girl that I..." he stopped, swallowing his voice.

I felt my stomach catch in my throat, and my heart was racing. Slowly, I lifted my head from against him, looking into his deep red eyes.

_Evander... I love you, too._ The thought bubbled up from my heart, coursing through my body and enchanting my mind with an intoxicating spell.

"Thank you, Evander. I... I—"

He leaned in, kissing me on the mouth. Instantly I felt my heart flutter with excitement. Closing my eyes, I wrapped my front legs around his neck, returning the kiss.

I stayed that way with him, wishing it would last forever. Finally, he broke away; I opened my eyes, gazing at him.

"Cassie, the two of us, we can't—"

"Evander, I want... I want to make you happy," I told him, meaning it.

"You already are, Cassandra," he replied gently.

Again, my heart fluttered, and I buried my face against his neck. "That's not what I mean, Evander. I—"

"I know, Cassie."

"Stop it, Evander!" I said, distraught.

He squeezed me closer to him, and I found myself enjoying our closeness.

"I've never... you were the first... guy I've been with," I barely managed.

The massive Rhydon leaned his head gently on mine, listening.

Again, I felt the magic spell, the intoxicating fog rising in my belly, spreading throughout all of me, clouding my thoughts. "Evander, I... you know that I care about you, and I... I would do—I_ want_ to do anything for you," I said, slowly lifting my gaze to him. "Anything," I whispered, barely audible.

"I know, Cassie," he whispered back to me. "But not tonight. Not before you get some rest." I could tell he was both teasing and that he was serious.

With a long sigh, I unwove my legs from him and got out of his lap.

"It's been a long day," Evander said, yawning. "You should eat, then get to sleep."

"I... I'm not hungry," I said sheepishly.

"To be honest, neither am I," he replied. "It'll still be there in the morning, right?"

"Right, Ev," I said with a yawn.

I stretched, enjoying how it relaxed my achy muscles. "Can we sleep now, Ev? I'm tired," I said, looking expectantly at him.

"Yeah, of course," he grinned at me. My companion laid down against the rock wall, and I curled up cozily beside him. Once again I found myself enjoying the feeling of being close to the great Rhydon.

"Good night, Ev," I said contentedly.

"Night, Cassie," he whispered, kissing the top of my head.

_Evander... I love you._ Caught between waking and the inexorable pull of sleep, I wasn't sure... I wasn't sure whether or not I said those words out loud or merely thought them.

Beside the great Rhydon, I slept soundly, dreaming what it would be like someplace other than Greysent, someplace safe and peaceful. I dreamt that Evander was there with me, sharing in my joys.

A thought struck me amid my dreaming—I found myself thinking:_ I hope Evander's dreams are this sweet too._


	7. Chapter 6

_It's Christmas Eve tonight, so along with another chapter, I'm wishing y'all a merry Christmas and happy holidays! So, there isn't much action happening in this chapter, but I'm thinking the next one is going to be a quasi-lemon... hope you folks are looking forward to it as much as I am! Enjoy reading, and leave a review or message me your feedback-I appreciate it c:_

* * *

I woke up as I felt Evander stirring next to me. Cicadas were still singing in the early morning, a relaxing sound. I stretched contentedly, brooking more movement from the nearby Rhydon.

"Good morning, Evander," I said, yawning.

"Mornin', Cassie," he replied, kissing the top of my head.

Turning to smile at him, I felt my stomach do a somersault.

"You look lovely today," he said, stroking my cheek.

I giggled quietly at him, not exactly knowing what to say.

"Hey, Ev?" I asked.

"What's up, Cassie?"

"It's that Steelix that we fought yesterday. I'd been meaning to talk to you about it."

"Oh? What about it?" he asked quizzically.

"You saw its color, right? It was rusted," I told him.

"What about the rust?"

"I just... I have a bad feeling about it, Evander," I replied quietly. "Mt. Grey erupted recently, because she needed to rebalance herself—she was sick. I think... I think that Steelix was like Greysent. A symptom of the island's sickness."

Evander listened to me, thinking.

I shrugged, still not knowing what to say. "It... I don't know. Maybe it's nothing. I just... I'm afraid for Greysent. There has to be some way we can help her. If we don't, Evander—I'm... I'm afraid for us," I said, avoiding his gaze.

The great Rhydon stroked my cheek again, nodding understandingly. "Don't worry, Cassandra," he said reassuringly, "there's definitely got to be something we can do for her."

Looking him in the eyes, I felt a smile prick the corners of my mouth. Somehow, I felt that he was right, that we would find a way to do something for the island.

"Right now, though," he continued, "the best thing we can do is eat something and get moving." With that, Evander stood up and made his way to last night's dead Sawbuck.

I nodded, likewise getting to my feet and joining him. We dug in, and I realized just how starving I was. Over the last several days, we'd seen a lot of action... and each of us our fair share of bruises. Eating is the body's way of regenerating energy, meaning neither of us could properly heal without a healthy supply of nutrients.

Both having eaten our fill, we broke camp and set off westward, like before.

After an evening and full night of rest, I was already feeling much better, and it felt good to stretch my muscles.

Suddenly, I was reminded of Evander's part in yesterday's fight—he'd absorbed the Steelix's iron tail... I could still remember the sick crack ringing through the air.

"Evander, how're your arms doing?" I asked, concerned.

He chuckled in response. "Don't worry about that. I'm fine." Watching as he kept pace beside me, I knew that he was right. If anything, he seemed to be keeping up even better than usual. A sign he was acclimating to running.

Finding my rhythm, I let my mind wander as we cut through the rocky terrain. Evander was lost in his head, too—he generally wasn't very talkative while running.

After several hours of keeping pace, we paused at a spring to drink our fill before continuing on.

_We're pretty lucky today... knock on wood! We haven't seen any hindrances, thankfully._ I glanced sidelong at Evander, wondering if he was thinking the same thing.

Before long, we came upon a large rock wall, seemingly impassable. We two slowed to a halt, catching our breath.

"How're we gonna get through_ that?_" I asked, somewhat flustered.

Standing on his hind legs, Evander peered down either side of the sheer rock face. "There," he said, pointing north, "I think I see a break in the wall."

As the two of us got closer, it became apparent that he was right. There was a break—a narrow gorge—in the rock face. Unfortunately for us, our passage was blocked by a pile of several large boulders.

I sighed inwardly, looking at Evander._ I just... I don't know what to do—_

But Evander wasn't returning my glance. With confidence, he walked toward the large boulders. After testing their weight, he looked back at me. "Cassie, stand back—I don't want you getting hurt," he said with a grin.

Doing as I was asked, I watched in amazement as the great Rhydon grasped the large boulder, lifting it high above his head. Then, slowly, he turned, facing away from the gorge, and with a mighty heave, he threw the large boulder out of the way.

Catching a quick breath, he turned to the remaining boulders and prepared to lift the next of them. Like a well-oiled machine, he worked, barely even testing the depths of his herculean stamina.

Sitting on my haunches, I watched Evander move the large rocks, not really knowing how to help. He didn't mind, though. And honestly... I enjoyed watching him at work. He looked as handsome as usual, if not more so.

_I knew Evander was strong, but this... this is crazy._

Before long, he was done, having hauled the boulders out of the way.

As he turned to gaze at me, I grinned playfully at him.

"Very impressive, Evander," I said, walking toward him.

My companion chuckled in response.

"I never knew you were such a muscleman," I said pointedly, slowly brushing past him with the length of my side and my tail.

I turned back to him, grinning at the look on his face. "Let's get going, shall we, Ev?"

"O'course, Cassie. I'll be right behind you," he replied.

Taking the lead, I began trotting through the narrow gorge. It was several hundred meters long, and it began widening toward the other end. There were a few rocks in the path, all small enough to maneuver around. After a couple minutes, we were out the other end of the gorge, on rocky plains.

In the distance, I could see more forested land, and beyond that—

Evander grunted in satisfaction. "Seems like this excursion wasn't impossible after all."

I grinned at him. "I'll race you to the forest," I teased.

The Rhydon scoffed at me. "Cassie, that's at least another day's journey away from here," he replied.

Smirking, I glanced doubtfully at him. "Well... maybe for a Slowpoke like you," I teased.

"Hey now, don't call me a Slowpoke," he grinned back at me.

"Oh? Then how about you show me how fast you can run!"

"Sounds like a challenge," he said, cracking his knuckles.

I quirked an eyebrow at him, waiting.

Taking to all fours, the great Rhydon began accelerating, running as hard as he could.

Trotting merrily beside him, I enjoyed the exercise—still barely a fraction of my quickest. Before long, we resumed our earlier pace, continuing for a couple hours, until day was drawing to a close.

"Let's find a place to camp for the night, Evander," I said, slowing to a walk.

Evander stood on his hind legs, nodding in reply. "I see a rock face over there," he said, pointing northwest. "There ought to be a cave we can make ourselves at home in."

The two of us made toward the rock face and started searching. Sure enough, he was right—after a few minutes of looking, we'd found an empty cave suitable for the night.

I went to gather some brush, bringing it back to make a bed. Evander sat down, leaning against the cave wall, and I curled up beside him, my head on his lap. He began absently running his fingers through my mane.

"Hey, Ev?" I asked, looking into his red eyes.

"Yeah, Cassie?"

"Thank you," I told him quietly. "Thanks for being my partner, for protecting me... and for... worrying about me."

The large Rhydon grinned at me, ruffling my ears.

"Don't worry about it," he replied.

I sighed contentedly, burying my face against him.

_Thank you, Ev. Thanks for being here with me... for being mine._

The both of us were exhausted, and it wasn't long before I'd fallen asleep.


	8. Chapter 7

I awoke that night, feeling Cassie stir beside me. As I came to my senses, I realized that she was still asleep, having a nightmare. The Arcanine was trembling, as if she was afraid of something.

"Cassie," I said, placing my hand on her shoulder, "are you alright?"

She cringed once, gritting her jaw and blinking rapidly, before coming to.

"Evander... I—what?" she asked, confused.

"You were dreaming, Cassie," I said with as much reassurance as I could muster.

Sitting up, she looked me in the eyes. "Ev, it was about Theisen. It was the day that he..." she cut off, looking away from me.

I stroked her cheek, frowning. Really, I didn't know what to say to her.

"I'm sorry," I managed to say quietly.

Looking back at me, I saw the tears in the corner of her eyes, I saw the pain. Then she leaned into me, burying her face against my chest.

"Hey, Ev?" she asked sullenly.

"Yeah, Cassie?"

"Promise... promise you won't ever leave me," she said, pressing even harder against me.

I breathed in deeply, and began stroking her maned neck.

"Okay," I said softly.

"Promise, Ev," she insisted, still distraught.

"I promise, Cassie... I won't leave you."

_You really are soft for this bird, Ev. What you just said... you sincerely meant._

As she looked up into my eyes, that last thought had me grinning foolishly. I really,_ really_ did... I cared about Cassie. Even when it made me grin like a dork.

Her face, her visage... seemed to shimmer before me, like a dream. She was beautiful, incredibly so—

I wrapped my arms around her, leaning in to kiss her, to reassure her.

She kissed me back, going somewhat soft within my grasp.

Tightly, I held her that way, as we kissed. As she let my tongue into her mouth, I savored the taste, the feeling.

Like before, I could feel pressure building in my member—but even more than that, I felt my heart flutter for the dame before me.

_What a catch she is... Cassie._

Pulling away from me, she looked me in the eyes. "Evander, I..." she broke off, her cheeks flushing.

"What is it, Cassie?"

As if painfully, she managed to look me back in the eyes. "Can I... make you happy again tonight?" Underneath her fur, it seemed as though her cheeks had turned bright red.

I hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "Only if it makes_ you_ happy, Cassie."

She buried her face against my neck like she'd done before. I couldn't help but enjoy our closeness, to hope—at least a little bit—that she was serious about making me happy.

After a deep sigh, she pulled away from my grasp, again looking me in the eye. That look seemed to say,_ It would—it really_ would_ make me happy, Evander._

Once more, she kissed me on the mouth, before turning her attention elsewhere. As she trailed kisses down my neck, I felt her stop and suck against my skin. Though I knew it wasn't about to leave a bruise on my stony hide, I didn't stop her—I enjoyed the feeling of her warm tongue on my neck.

When she finished, she bit my skin roughly—another sensation I found myself enjoying—before trailing more kisses down my shoulder.

"Cassie..." I groaned, not knowing what to say. By now, I could feel my stiff member pressing against her. She obviously could tell just how aroused I was, but she took her time, not at all hurried.

After finishing at my shoulder, she moved to my chest, again sucking against my skin. To her satisfaction, I trembled slightly beneath her touch. Like our first time, she then began running her tongue slowly down my chest, down my abdomen, stopping before she'd reached my dick.

Looking up at me, her warm brown eyes seemed to ask me,_ Are you sure, Ev?_

Returning her gaze, I placed a hand reassuringly on her shoulder.

At that, she kissed the base of my shaft gently, enough to make me quiver. I arched my back, the anticipation killing me.

Again, she kissed my spiny member, before slowly wrapping her hot, rough tongue around its base. As she unwound her tongue, I squirmed as it rubbed against my sensitive skin.

Leaning into me, she pressed me against the wall—in control, as before. Then she began working her way up to the top of my dick, with her lips, her tongue, and—to my surprised enjoyment—her teeth. I heard myself groan as I felt my member throbbing faster and hotter.

She kissed the top of my cock, then began licking the precum off its tip. My breath caught in my throat, but, unlike last time... I honestly didn't mind that she was being a tease.

I felt my heart throbbing as an intoxicating spell ran through my body. I really,_ really_ enjoyed being with Cassie._ This feeling—is this what they call... love?_

Cassie slowly slipped the end of my dick into her sweet mouth, sucking me for all she was worth. For whatever reason, it felt so much better than last time—I don't know why.

_No, it wasn't that it felt better than last time. It was just... it was just that it felt right. The last time, she did what she did to get me to shut up. This was different._

She slowly worked my member in and out of her mouth, tracing around it with her hot tongue. I groaned in response, my grip on her shoulder tightening.

As she began increasing the speed of her up-and-down strokes, I began spacing out.

_One day... I want to... to be there for her like she's been there for me. I want to make her happy... like she's made me happy._

_ But Evander... what can you do for her? You're not even half of the man that she deserves._

_ It doesn't matter, Ev._

_ Oh? And why not?_

_ Because, Ev. Because you love her._

Feeling myself reaching my limit, I gripped her shoulder even tighter as I moaned her name.

Unable to contain myself, my hips bucked forward, and she leaned in, my member reaching deep into her hot mouth. I felt my muscles contract, my dick spurting hot semen into her throat.

"Agh—Cassie!" I stammered.

She greedily swallowed all I had to offer, my grip still tight on her shoulder. Without missing a beat, she continued tracing the tip of my sensitive cock with her tongue, enticing all she could from it.

After I'd finished, she withdrew her mouth from my dick, gazing up at me demurely. It was as though she was just as innocent as when we'd met... except perhaps that she was willing to do just about anything for me.

"Ugh... Cassie," I began, "Cassie, I—" I wrapped my arms around her, holding the Arcanine close to me.

She looked up at me, and as her gaze met mine, her visage again shimmered, as if within a dream. In fact, I wasn't entirely sure that I _wasn't_ dreaming.

_Evander, you really do care about her, don't you?_

_ Yeah... she really is something._

"Cassie, I—Cassie, I love you," I whispered softly.

Her ears pricked back as she heard me, and she responded by leaning in to kiss me. It was a long, sensual kiss, and the taste of it was distinctly more salty than before.

The Arcanine drew away, burying her face against me. "Ev, I... I love you, too," she whispered softly.

I began running my fingers down her neck, through her mane. There really... there really weren't words to tell her adequately how I felt.

We stayed that way for a while, her in my arms. The last thing I remember of that night was being lulled by the sound, the feel, of her breathing against my body.

That night, I dreamt about Cassie again, but it wasn't about sex.


	9. Chapter 8

I woke up easily that morning, if only because I was looking forward to seeing, to being with, Cassie.

The two of us were lying down next to each other, and my arm was wrapped around her waist. I smiled and took in a deep breath, enjoying our closeness.

Intending to leave my companion in her slumber, I started moving my arm away from her. At my movement, she stirred, rolling onto her back, presenting me her belly.

_Oh? Maybe she needs to have her stomach rubbed._

I grinned to myself, proceeding to rub the half-asleep canine's tummy. She stretched luxuriously in response, seeming to enjoy it.

_How'd you go and manage to fall for such a kid like this, Evander?_

I chortled inwardly at the thought.

_ Cassie ain't nothing of the sort. She's a lady. In fact, she has this wonderful quality where she manages to look lovely even... in those weird circumstances where she should just look goofy._

_ Like right now?_

_ Uhh... yeah, I guess._

As a matter of fact, she_ did_ look lovely to me right now. I enjoyed seeing her asleep beside me. She did look... vulnerable... but that's kind of what Cassie was to me. I wanted to protect her, to stay by her side, and, maybe even... to make her happy.

My gaze began wandering across her feminine form, which I of course found myself appreciating. Her soft fur, her golden mane, the gentle curve of her neck... and then, I found my gaze wander farther downward, noting she was even more lovely... than I had imagined her in my dreams.

_Ev, you can't—EV, STOP STARING AT HER!_

Breaking away from my ogling, I felt my cheeks burning with self-consciousness. Again, I placed a hand on her stomach, scratching her absently.

_In my defense, the way she was lying, her... canid assets were... _right there. _It was kinda hard not to stare. Besides, I care about her. It's not like I'm getting some sick satisfaction from looking. And, I... it's a good thing for me to be attracted to her. She is... the girl I love, after all._

With a great yawn, it seemed my companion was finally coming to. "Goooood morning, Evander," she said, half-sleepy but mostly cheerful.

I grinned at her silly antics. "Mornin', Beautiful."

The Arcanine opened her eyes, looking up at me. Once more, she yawned, and I kissed her on the forehead.

"Hey, Ev?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, Cassie?"

She rolled back onto her side, turning back to look at me. "Sometimes I wish we could be like this all the time. Every day. You know... instead of fighting," she finished quietly.

I placed my hand onto her neck and began running my fingers through her silky mane, listening.

"I mean it... and it isn't because I'm not that great in a fight, Ev. It's just, I don't think... I don't think that this is what Theisen would have wanted for us. The fighting, I mean."

"So... what are you suggesting?"

Her ears pricked back, and she pouted at my question.

_Maybe she doesn't actually _have_ a suggestion._

_ Well, you haven't got any bright ideas either, have you?_

She broke eye contact with me, looking down at the rocky ground. For a while, we let it be silent like that.

"You know, Cassie," I began, "when we first met, I thought you were kinda uptight," I teased.

Her brown eyes flashed back to me, narrowing. "And when I first met_ you,_ Evander, I thought you had a mile-long stick up your ass." She snorted hot air at me, very matter-of-factly.

I found myself grinning at her. "Really, though... I'm glad I got to know you. I was very wrong about you," I said, continuing to run my fingers through her soft fur.

After considering my statement for a while, she seemed to approve. "Thank you, Evvie. If it makes you feel better, that stick up your ass is one of the reasons you've grown on me so much," she told me with equal parts sweet and sassy.

_Did she just call me Evvie?_

_ O'course she did... Evvie—_

Disregarding that thought, I wrapped my arms around her in a gentle hug. "Sorry, Cassie," I wasn't sure why I'd started this conversation in the first place.

"Don't mention it, Evvie... I know you can't help that you've got a stick up your ass. Get over it," she said, grinning.

I rolled my eyes at her remark. "Okay... you've got me there. I'll see what I can't do."

"Hey, Ev?" my companion asked, her voice sounding somewhat more demure now.

"Yeah, Cassie?"

"Really, when I first met you," she started, "I kinda... I kinda had a crush on you," she finished softly.

"Oh, well, Cassie... that's no surprise," I teased. "I'm obviously quite a specimen. I've also got the older and wiser thing going on, haven't I?"

The Arcanine rolled her eyes, and giggled just a little bit. "Yeah, and you're also cocky to a fault, and you've got more pride than all of Greysent put together could ever need."

"You're right... but that's another one of the things you like about me." With that, I placed a finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet mine. Then I kissed her once, softly on the lips, having made my point.

Cassie felt really warm—obviously in part because... well, because she's an Arcanine, but I like to think it didn't hurt that I could make her somewhat flustered.

"Excuse_ me,_ Evvie, but I don't know that_ like_ is the right word," she said sassily, her eyes narrowing at me. And then, she pressed firmly against me, giving me a long, sensual kiss on the mouth. "We already established this last night, Evander... I love you," she whispered with a sweet smile on her lips.

My stomach did a somersault, as though there were butterflies inside of it. I slowly slid my arms down to her waist, squeezing her fondly. "I can never get enough of you, Love," I told her as I gazed into her brown eyes.

Her face seemed to brighten, and she buried her face against my neck.

"Hey, Evvie, do you think we should get going? We should be able to make it to the edge of the forest by the end of the day, right?

"Would you stop calling me that?" I muttered.

"Oh, right. I forgot—only your arch nemeses call you that," she said, a mischievous grin playing across her lips.

I found myself looking away from her, at a loss for clever words.

Slowly, she drew away from me, standing on all fours and stretching her muscles.

"We've got a lot of running to do. Better try to keep up, Evvie," she said with a playful grin.

"Oh alright. Let's get going,_ mom._"

She quirked an eyebrow at me, as if wondering why I'd call her that._ Or maybe she's just daring me to say it again._

I took to my feet, after which stretching seemed to be a brilliant idea.

As we began striking west toward that forest, Cassie made another quip at my expense, "Arch nemesis or not, they don't know like I do... they don't know how sweet you are, deep down."

_Maybe... maybe she's right. But being sweet doesn't mean that Evvie is a more suitable name than Ev or Evander._

With a reluctant sigh, I kept my thoughts to myself, keeping pace with my companion.

I didn't want to admit it... but deep down, I really did enjoy it when she called me that.

Despite all of her sassy remarks, the time I spent with Cassie was special. Even when we spent most of the day running together in silence, there was a part of me that felt as though I was someplace else. Someplace like paradise.

As we made our way to the forest in the distance, time seemed to fly.


	10. Reminiscence

_As we found our way to the edge of the forest, a memory bubbled to the surface of my thoughts. A memory only days old, in fact._

_ Days? Yeah... I guess it hasn't been that long. It seems like it's been a lot longer than that, though._

It was the day after Mt. Grey erupted. As that fine black dust had begun to spread throughout the city, the humans were growing sicker and sicker.

The disaster was all over the television, too. The city's only hospital had to shut down, as their doctors were too sick to help even themselves. While the mayor officially announced a state of emergency and recommended Greysent's residents evacuate, by then it was too late.

Grey's black dust was far more deadly than anyone had anticipated... and now that it was starting to spread through the city, these humans' fates were sealed. It was only a matter of time.

Besides, the boats that had already left weren't about to come back, not as long as the dust was still shrouding the island. Many of the residents couldn't afford evacuating. Most of them were blue-collar workers in mines and refineries—they were here because they hadn't been able to find work elsewhere, because they were in dire financial straits. In fact, many of them continued working—it wasn't until after emergency had been declared that most of the mines and refineries had closed.

Theisen himself wasn't a worker like that. He officially worked for the city, as a ranger—he had been hired to explore and map the different regions of the island, flagging areas ripe for mining. Even though he was young, he already knew a plethora about nature, and was incredibly talented at wilderness survival.

Unofficially, he was a trainer.

_That's why he had Evander and me. The two of them had all but grown up together—Ev had been given to the boy at a young age, just a Rhyhorn at the time. Theisen's parents had purchased the rhinoceros-like Pokemon from a breeder. Since then, they'd been very close, getting along famously. Coming along later, I had always felt like a third wheel, but I did what I could to contribute to the team however possible._

As Theisen lay in his bed, Evander and I stood next to him. The human looked so frail... frailer than I had ever seen him before that.

Coughing weakly, our trainer turned to us. "Evander, Cassandra, I'm sorry. We probably should have left with the earlier evacuees. I guess it's too late for that now, though."

I licked his hand, not knowing what else to do.

He grinned weakly at me. "I know, Cassie, I know. But it'll be okay, I promise. There's a good chance I won't make it, but you guys will—I know it."

Turning to look out the window, Theisen gazed at the distant Mt. Grey. "Besides, this island... it has always been my first love. If there's a place for me to make my final bed, it's here."

I whined at him, not understanding—or at least not _wanting_ to understand—what he meant.

"Cassie, Ev..." he said, his voice cracking, "don't get me started, okay? I... I really am sorry, but there's nothing I can do about it—not now." I could see the tears forming in the corner of his eyes. Even so, there wasn't fear in his heart... he was ready to face his fate with strength and courage. I admired that about him.

Evander slumped down, leaning against Theisen's bed. Grinning, our trainer placed his left hand on Evander's stony head, stroking him softly.

I stuck my head on Theisen's lap, confusion and despair clouding my mind. I wanted to comfort him... but I also needed him to be there for me. I don't know about Evander, but I just felt... so insecure. Theisen petted me with his other hand, then started scratching my chin.

"Really, you guys. Thanks. You've been the greatest partners a trainer could ever hope for. I'll miss you both a lot." Again, he coughed weakly.

"And Ev, when I see dad, I'll give him your regards. I'll even tell him about your new friend, Cassie," he said, smiling at me.

I licked his hand, wishing I could speak human.

_Theisen, this isn't fair. We need you—you can't leave like this!_

He rolled onto his side, seized by a fit of more severe coughs.

"Evander, Cassandra..." he started, his voice very weak, "I love you guys. Take care of each other, okay?"

He fell back onto his pillow, his breathing now extremely shallow.

Evander and I stayed with him in silence. There wasn't really anything else we could do for him. So we stayed there, his comfort, until he finally passed.

* * *

We stayed with him all night, and come morning, we buried our late trainer. It wasn't much of a grave, but it was the best we could do. We were just Pokemon, after all.

Sitting next to Theisen's grave, I remember glancing at Evander.

"Umm... Evander, wha—what should we do now?" I asked, my voice shaking.

The large Rhydon was silent for a moment before responding. "We should head to the far west end of Greysent, Cassie. There's... a place there, it should be safe." His voice was empty of emotions.

"Safe? What do you mean, Evander? It's not dangerous—"

"It will be soon, though. I can feel it," he said, furrowing his brow. "Without the humans... the Pokemon here will turn feral. It'll be each to his own."

An icy fear gripped my stomach, and panic pierced my mind, sending me reeling.

_I don't want to fight—I can't, not without Theisen, not without Ev—_

Glancing back at me, he patted me on the head. "Don't worry, Cassie. Stick with me and you'll be okay. Theisen told us to take care of each other, right?" I could detect a small fraction of sadness in the Rhydon's voice as he said our late trainer's name.

"Thank you, Ev," I sighed, looking at the ground.

He didn't respond, but began scratching me behind the ears.

"So, when should we... start our journey?" I asked my companion.

"At midday. There's a small forest just outside the city—it should provide some cover for the night."

"Hey, Cassie?" he asked, his voice softening.

"Yeah, Ev?"

"Our journey... if I can't make it, I'm sure you can. Just keep heading west, you're sure to find it—"

"What, and leave you?" I blinked at him, thinking he must have gone mad.

He shrugged, not having anything else to say.

I didn't really have anything else to say, either.

_ In retrospect, though, I should have laid him out for saying that. Ev... he could be such a jerk sometimes. Especially when he wasn't thinking about his own well-being._

* * *

I felt excitement building in my stomach.

_This place, this forest—maybe it was the place Evander had told me about back then!_

Slowing our pace, we finally reached the edge of the forest. I looked to Evander with wonder in my eyes. "Evvie, is this the place we've been looking for?" I asked hopefully.

"Err, kinda," he said, sounding unsure. "If we keep heading forward, we should find it."

My shoulders sagged a little with disappointment.

_By now, I just wish that it was over. That way, we could finally find our peace. But... having to travel, I'm glad it's with Evvie. Moreover, this part of Greysent already feels... safer. After all, we hadn't encountered anymore of those jerk-face thugs since passing through that gorge._

"Don't worry," he grinned at me, "it won't be much farther."

I giggled softly at him. "Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise," he said, meeting my gaze.

"Alright, then—let's get going!" I chimed in cheerfully.

He chortled, falling in behind me as we began marching through the forest.

I felt renewed with hope, at least in part because of the words Ev had said. It wasn't just that I believed him—it was that I somehow knew what he was saying... that it was true.

_We're almost there._

A thrill of excitement ran through me at the idea. _Soon, it'll all be through._


	11. Ceremony

_As we were treading through the forest, I found myself thinking about something Theisen had told me a while back._

He and I had been out on a hike, something we enjoyed doing together. He'd left Cassie at the house—she generally didn't enjoy wilderness hikes as much as other exercise.

Stopping atop a hill, Theisen pointed westward. "See that, Evander?"

I peered into the distance, not really seeing anything special, then glanced back at him, shrugging.

"You're right," he chuckled, "I must be imagining it."

"Even so," he began, "I got some preliminary reports from my coworkers. They did some aerial scouting of the western side of Greysent."

I nodded, listening intently.

"Well, you know how the Greysent we know is mostly rocky plains... a few patches of forest here and there. This place out west, it's full of beautiful rolling hills, lush with greenery. It's a paradise, Ev." The last sentence, he said softly, almost dreamily.

"A place like that... the undiscovered, unabused part of Greysent. It's a sanctuary."

"I want to go there, Evander. I want to take you and Cassie, too. No mines, no refineries... just us and Greysent, the way it was meant to be."

As he grinned happily at me, I found myself grinning back.

_At the time, that promise... it made me happy. I believed Theisen..._

_ But things are different. He isn't with us, but I'll do my best... to take Cassie and myself there, like he would have wanted._

_ It'll be Theisen's last gift to us._

I felt a tear run down my cheek, and I quickly brushed it away. It'd be alright. In fact, it already was... _we were almost there, for crying out loud!_

Cassie's ears pricked back and she took in a sharp breath.

"Ev, do you see that?"

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Up ahead, I think I see a break in the trees," she said excitedly.

With that, she started bounding lithely through the forest, as though she were a graceful woodland fairy. I did my best to keep up, not wanting to trample the forest greenery.

Before long, the two of us made it to a clearing filled with tall, soft grass. A light breeze ran across the top of it, making the grass sway in the shallow light. Here and there, the field was speckled with lovely wildflowers.

"Evander!" Cassie shouted at me, "Evvie, is this it?"

I had to catch my breath before replying. "Yeah... this is it."

The svelte Arcanine began leaping and bounding playfully through the field, happy as a clam. I couldn't help but grin at the sight.

_Sure enough, your girl is hardly more than a pup, Ev._

_ Well, I'd rather... I'd rather it be Cassie than anyone else._

She paused in her merrymaking as something caught her eye.

"Hey, Ev—look up," my companion shouted cheerfully.

Looking up, I saw the dark clouds thinning, and then... a small sliver of sunlight shone between two clouds.

_Sunlight. Real, honest sunlight._

But to us, that sliver meant more than light. It was part of our victory, the end of our journey.

_It had been several days—the dust must have begun to lift. More than that, we've traveled a good distance away from Mt. Grey, where the clouds were thickest._

"It's wonderful, Cassie," I said absently, my gaze still lost in the cloudy sky.

Even though it wasn't full sunlight, it was a sign. Things would be back to normal soon. It would be a gradual process, but I had faith. I'm sure Cassie did, too.

* * *

The big Rhydon was just standing there, much too seriously—as he almost always was.

_Well, if he isn't going to join me in oafing around..._

I quickly ran up and tackled him playfully, landing atop him in the soft grass. "What do we do now, Ev?" I asked, looking into his deep red eyes.

"I dunno, Cassie," he said sheepishly. "This part of Greysent, I want to protect her. From humans, from those jerk-face thugs, whatever. Right now, this place is our sanctuary, our haven. I want it... to stay that way," he said, returning my gaze.

"Will it always need protecting?" I asked curiously.

"No, Cassie... I don't believe so. Before long, the wildlife of the island will reset itself to normalcy. As for the humans, I get the feeling they won't be coming back for a long while."

"So, Evander..." I began more quietly, "what'll you do... after you don't need to protect Greysent anymore?"

He grinned boyishly up at me. "I want to make you happy, Cassie. Other than that, I'll do whatever it is that you want me to do."

I kissed him on the mouth, then drew back, smiling down at him.

"You're such a sweetheart, Evvie," I teased.

"Yeah, well... get used to it," he snickered.

"Hey, Ev?" I asked my companion.

"Yeah, Cassie?"

"How... how did you know about this place?" I asked, somewhat puzzled.

The great Rhydon was silent for a good while before answering me. "A few months back, Theisen told me about it. Lush, rolling hills, unlike what we'd seen on the rest of Greysent. A paradise untouched my man or machine." His voice wavered a small bit, his eyes close to tears.

"This place, Cassie... it was Theisen's last gift to us," he said softly.

_What a big softie I went and fell for..._

I giggled quietly, then licked Evander's face.

"Cheer up," I told him. "If it was his last gift to us, then let's use it like he would've wanted us to," I said, smiling reassuringly at him.

"Yeah, well what did you have in mind?" he asked, gazing up at me.

The two of us were silent—I wasn't entirely sure what I _did_ have in mind, apparently.

_I want to make him happy. I—I don't know how, but somehow, I understood—_

Shifting my weight, I sat on his abdomen, straddling him.

"You know, Ev?" I asked, a vague and distant fear hedging my mind.

"Err, what is it, Cassie?" he asked, somewhat alarmed.

"Ev, I want..." I began, my voice all of a sudden sounding very small. "I want to be with you, Evvie... I want to be your's," I finished, barely a whisper.

He looked up at me for a long while, his face as stony as usual.

That while was too long. I couldn't bear it—the waiting or the silence. Finally, I looked away, unable to hold his gaze. Feeling the heat rising in my cheeks, I began trembling with fear.

_Cassie, you come on way too strong. He's going to—you've gone and made a fool out of—_

"Then Cassandra..." the great Rhydon began, "would you... would you be my wife?" he asked, staring up with his deep red eyes.

_This can't be happening. This can't really be happening. After all, I'm just Cassie—I'm just me, I'm clutzy, I'm average, and there's no way, no way that he—_

_ No. No, that's wrong—I'm so much more than that... I am Cassandra, the beautiful Arcanine; Cassie, Evander's friend and partner for life; and more than that, I am the girl that he... the girl that he loves._

I felt a tear run down my cheek. Ev reached up, brushing the drop away.

"Ev, I... I love you, Evander," I barely managed. I was on the verge of being choked with tears.

He grabbed my foreleg, and with a tug, I was down on the soft grass, next to him. He wrapped his strong arms around me, holding me tight.

"May I take that as a yes, Love?" he teased, grinning at me.

"Yes, Evander. Yes, yes, yes!" I sobbed, burying my face against his broad chest.

Slowly, he began running his fingers through my mane, down my neck.

"Cassie," he started awkwardly, "it's still kinda light out. Would you... we could do it right now."

"Do what?" I asked, confused.

"Err, a ceremony. I know we can't have anything fancy, and maybe we'll only have Arceus as our witness... but you know what? I'm okay with that," he said, kissing my forehead.

I looked up into his deep red eyes, dumbfounded.

I wanted to scream out to the world how much I loved Evander, I wanted to do a thousand things, and my heart and mind were racing so fast that it seemed I could barely manage even the simplest of them.

"That would... it'd make me the happiest girl in the world, Evvie," I said softly. "And... if that's what makes you happy, then... then that makes me the luckiest girl in the world, too."

Again, he grinned boyishly at me. At that, he stood to his feet, lending me a hand up.

"Over there," he said, pointing. "That'd be a lovely place for our ceremony."

Back near the edge of the forest, two slender beech trees stood not far apart from each other. Their lower branches met in their middle, forming a graceful canopy.

I blitzed through the grass, at the trees in the blink of an eye. Sitting on my haunches, I turned to wait for Evander, my heart thumping loudly in my chest.

The great Rhydon began lumbering his way over, pausing to pick something up before he resumed.

As he met me under the trees, I thought that I might explode with joy.

He kneeled, putting himself on the same level as me.

"Thank you, Cassandra. Thanks for coming here with me, for being my friend and companion, and for letting me be the same for you." His voice sounded like silk in my ears, and I was afraid that I might die for joy. _Somebody pinch me, because I must be dreaming._

"Cassandra, I love you more than the world, and... more than anything, I want to make you happy. I have my doubts and fears—after all, Cassie, you're the greatest woman I've ever met, and I feel like I'm not even a tenth of the man that you deserve. But I have faith, Cassie, that every day I'm with you, I'll become more and more the man that you need me to be."

"I will be faithful to you, I will love you through everything, and I will continue to be with you as long as I breathe," he finished, smiling gently at me. With that, he raised his hand, placing a newly blossomed orchid behind my ear.

I smiled at him, wiping a tear from my eye. "Evander, you've always been there for me, you've always been my strength and shield... my protector."

"As clumsy as I am on my feet, Ev, I'm even worse with words—I just... there aren't words to say how happy I am, or... how much I love you, Evvie. I always doubt myself, looking down on who I am, but you lift me up, Ev—you hold me in your arms, you ground me. With you, I am secure, at peace. Please be patient with me, Evvie... I promise I'll do my best... to make you happy, to be the girl you deserve."

Again, he smiled at me, and I thought my heart would melt.

"With all of me, Evander, I will be faithful to you, I will love you no matter what, and I will live my life with you and only you," I finished quietly.

"Cassandra...," the Rhydon began, "with Arceus as our witness... will you be my wife?" he asked, gazing deep into my eyes.

"Yes, Evander... of course I will," I smiled softly at him.

At that, he leaned in, kissing me on the lips. My heart skipped a beat, euphoria seeming to consume me.

_It had happened—we'd done it. We were together, and my beloved and I had our happy ending._


	12. Consummation

She drew away from me, looking into my eyes.

"Hey, Ev?" she asked demurely.

"Yeah, Cassie?"

"Now that we had our ceremony, can we—" she broke off, her cheeks turning bright red.

I laughed out loud in response. "We could, Cassie, but newlyweds generally wait until their first night together for that. That's why it's called a wedding night, after all," I told her, grinning.

Her eyes narrowed at me, a pout on her lips.

"Well excuse _me_ for wanting to be with my husband," she said indignantly.

"Cassie... would you call me that again?"

"Call you what, Evander?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.

"... your husband," I replied softly.

A smile pricked the corner of her lips. Then, she pounced on me, pressing me to the ground. She landed on top of me, just like earlier.

_I don't know where on earth I got the idea that Cassie was innocent... by the looks of things, she's got this all down to a science._

Even if she did have this all down to a science, I found myself enjoying this thoroughly.

Reaching a hand up, I stroked her cheek, grinning at the enchanting Arcanine.

"You know," she said matter-of-factly, "it may not be night right now, but with the sky covered in clouds like this, there's barely any gorramn difference."

"Oh?" I asked doubtfully, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Keep sassing me, Evander, and I'll kick your ass," she growled at me.

"Mmhmm. Sounds like I would enjoy it," I replied with a smirk.

"You can bet your tail you'll enjoy it, Evvie," she said with a mischievous grin.

With that, she leaned in, kissing me on the mouth. Wrapping my arms around her, I kissed her back with all the love I had in me.

I savored our second kiss as husband and wife, letting her tongue into my mouth. As we continued, I found my hands gravitating to her waist, and then down to her hips.

She broke from me, her chocolate-colored eyes gazing sweetly into mine.

"So... Evander, it's alright if we..." she trailed off, blushing.

Still holding onto her hips, I pressed her closer to me. Leaning in, I then kissed her on the shoulder, trailing kisses up her graceful neck. After placing one more kiss on her jaw, below her ear, I whispered to her, "Yeah, Cassie. Of course it's alright."

As I relaxed back onto the grass, I saw the lovely Arcanine smiling at me, her eyes aglow with happiness.

With that, she kissed me on the mouth, before trailing kisses down my neck to my chest. While she paused to suck against my rough skin, I felt the pressure building in my member.

_Here I am, with a girl—a lady—that would do anything for me. And now that we've shared with each other our vows, there's nothing stopping us from finally making love._

Though part of me was anxious—this was my first time as well as her's—I found myself looking forward to the deed.

_Finally, Cassie is mine._

Feeling my warm member press against her, the Arcanine slipped off of my chest, repositioning herself next to me.

Running her rough, warm tongue slowly up the side of my spiny cock, I quivered under her touch. Closing my eyes, I felt as Cassie slipped the tip of it into her hot mouth, running her tongue around it.

My breath caught in my throat, and my heart began drumming harder inside my chest.

"Cassie, I love you," I moaned.

She continued sucking on my dick for a few moments, before drawing back. I felt her shifting her weight, feeling two of her paws pressing into my stomach.

I opened my eyes to see the Arcanine standing above me, about to mount me. Looking into my eyes, I could tell that she was somewhat unsure of herself, of what she was doing.

"I love you too, Evvie," she whispered softly. She leaned forward to kiss me once more on the lips, a kiss that I wanted to last forever.

As she drew back, I placed my hands onto Cassie's hips, looking up at my wife.

"You're sure you're ready?" I asked, concern and anticipation baiting for precedence in my mind.

She nodded at me, her brown eyes sparkling.

I nodded, knowing she meant it.

Aligning her sex with the tip of my member, I saw the anxiety increasing in her face.

The dark brown fur of her labia was soft—incredibly soft against the tip of my dick. I felt my heart throbbing faster, feeling as though I might die from anticipation.

And then Cassie shifted her weight, beginning to slide me into her.

I heard myself groan as I saw her clenching her jaw in pain.

Even just a few inches in, her walls were incredibly tight around my throbbing member. It took all of my self-control not to start humping into her, but to wait.

After catching her breath, she pushed herself farther down, sliding my dick further in.

I held my breath, not wanting to groan. Watching Cassie, I could tell it was painful for her.

"Ev—Evander..." she stammered through gritted teeth.

With one final push, she engulfed my member full-hilt, pressing her weight against my abdomen.

The feeling of being inside of her made me want to die. It was a tight fit all the way up my shaft, and I could feel her pulse against my throbbing cock.

But more than anything, it was the _heat_ that was killing me. This was better than losing my dick down her throat—it felt twice as warm to me.

As she lifted her body slowly away from me, the walls of her vagina caught against my spiny shaft, eliciting a sharp yelp from the Arcanine.

Then, she slowly—and more confidently—pressed down once more, again engulfing me.

My grip on her hips tightened as I moaned in pleasure.

By far, this was the most heavenly thing I'd experienced in my life. Even if it was mixed bag for Cassie, I was glad I could share it with her—with my wife, the girl I love.

She bit her lip, smiling weakly at me as she drew back before again sliding down.

As our juices began mingling inside of her, her movements became easier, a little less painful for the virginal Arcanine.

Cassie began building up a rhythm, slowly at first, riding up and down my hard member. Even so, every pass up and down on my dick made me want to scream. Despite the lubrication of our juices, her walls were tight, catching on each of my throbbing member's tiny spines. To me, her slow humping was simultaneously heaven as well as torture.

I resituated my hands on her hips, helping her up-and-downward strokes. To my pleasant surprise, Cassie groaned loudly in response.

Feeling more confident, I slowly arched my back, pressing into her. Matching her rhythm, I began humping back, losing myself in our pleasure-making.

Butterflies seemingly jostled rapidly around my stomach, and my tongue seemed to turn to lead.

_I can't believe it. We're finally doing it—my beloved wife and I... making love._

"Cassie," I moaned, thrusting into her, my grasp on her hips again tightening.

"Evander," she mewled affectionately at me.

She began increasing her pace, and I matched her thrust for thrust, almost losing my mind amidst our pleasure.

After another few moments, I could feel that I was getting close—very close to the edge.

I continued thrusting into her hot pussy, savoring every moment, working my way closer and closer to orgasm.

Cassie's pace began softening, and I saw her clench her eyes shut. As I continued pounding against her, I began to feel her body quivering.

"Ev... what's happening?" she groaned softly.

"Evander... oh, Evander!" she squealed, clenching her jaw.

Having reached orgasm, her walls clamped down around me as waves of pleasure wracked the Arcanine's body.

Feeling her hot, tight walls constricting my dick was more than enough to finally send me over.

"Ugh... Cassie!" I screamed, thrusting even harder into her.

The muscles in my thobbing member contracted, spurting my load deep inside Cassie's glory hole.

Though the Arcanine had gone mostly limp in my grasp, I continued pounding against her, riding out as much of our orgasms as I could.

Finally winding down, I slowed down my thrusts, eventually stopping.

Cassie lifted herself off of my dick, lying down beside me, and snuggled close. I wrapped my arms around the Arcanine and held her tightly against me, catching my breath.

"Dammit, Cassie... you're amazing," I whispered huskily.

She buried her face against my chest in response. After a moment, she lifted her face, looking up at me. "Evvie, I love you," she cooed quietly.

Sliding my arms down to her waist, I pressed her against me, resting my hands on her lower back.

"I know," I replied softly, grinning boyishly at her.

Her eyes flashed a happy smile at me, and she placed a forepaw on her abdomen.

"Think there're little Evvies inside of me now?" she asked, grinning mischievously at me.

I felt my stomach do a somersault, not knowing what to think.

_Starting a family with Cassie?_

_ Jirachi, if only you would _please_ make it so!_

I returned her grin, then kissed her deeply on the lips. "I can only hope so," I whispered softly to her.

"Me too," the Arcanine whispered, blushing.

Again, Cassie moved to bury her face against my chest, and I rested my chin on top of her, enjoying her warmth, our closeness.

"Thanks, Ev," she said, barely audible. "Thanks for being my protector, my husband... for loving me."

"Of course," I teased softly. "I'd do it again, too. Every day of the rest of my life," I said with cheeky bravado.

She shifted her head, looking into my eyes. "_Every _day_,_ hmm?"

"Every day," I confirmed, returning her gaze.

"That sounds like a challenge," she growled playfully.

"Oh?"

"Keep sassing me, Evander, and I will run your ass ragged," she barked at me.

"Cassie, what are you—"

She kissed me deeply, and I found my embrace around her tightening. As she drew away, her gaze met mine, her eyes glittering.

"Ready for round two?" she asked, a mischievous grin again playing across her face.

"Err, I—Cassie, I can't!" I blurted, dumbfounded.

The lovely Arcanine pouted at me. "Why not?" she whined softly.

"I, err... guys need time to recuperate between sex," I told her, feeling my cheeks blushing.

"Hmph," she snorted indignantly at me. "Well... do you think you'll be ready by nightfall? We still haven't had our wedding night, you know," she said, her gaze narrowing at me.

I grinned stupidly, feeling my stomach somersault again. Cassie's face seemed to shimmer, as if the two of us were lost inside a dream. One that I didn't want to wake up from, ever.

"Yeah... I'll be ready by then," I snickered.

"Promise?" she asked, her gaze still narrowed on me.

"Or else?" I asked, teasing.

"Or else I run you ragged," she growled playfully at me.

I laughed out loud in response. "Sounds like you plan on running me ragged either way, Love," I said, running a hand through her silky mane.

"Is that a problem?" she asked indignantly.

"No, of course not," I grinned at her.

"So..." she insisted, wanting her answer.

"Yes, Cassie... I _promise_ I'll be ready for our wedding night. I wouldn't miss it for the whole world," I whispered softly to her.

She smiled satisfactorily, having received her promise.

"Good," she cooed, again burying her head against me.

"Hey Ev?" she started, more mildly.

"Yeah, Cassie?"

"I love you, husband," she whispered sweetly.

… _again with the butterflies in my stomach_—

"I love you, too, Cassie," I whispered into her ear.


	13. Epilogue

_Folks, thanks a lot for bearing with me all the way through. Since this is more an epilogue than a real chapter, I'm sorry to say it's fairly short. But I _do_ have a sonnet that I'ma post with it, so make sure to read it. I had a lot of fun writing this story... and even though I don't generally make a habit out of writing short stories, I might have to see about doing this again. Anyways, here it is, so enjoy! :)_

_One more thing: I _have _played the games and I do know that, according to the universe of Pokemon, female Arcanine lay eggs instead of having litters of pups. Well I decided screw that__—Cassie ain't laying frickin' eggs... plus, I'm all hipster and that means I'm too cool for conformity. Okay, maybe not, lol. Anyways... I do have a couple ideas for a fiction I could write next, and it kind of might be a sequel. If you enjoyed this one, let me know: drop a review, PM me, or favorite/follow. I can't make any promises about when I would start writing, but the wheels in my twisted mind are already turning... ;)_

* * *

_By the time Cassie had her first litter, Greysent's sky was back to normal. It was a perfect, beautiful day—one that I wouldn't have changed for the whole world._

_ It was a relatively easy labor, one that might've well had me more anxious than it had her._

_ Our firstborn was a healthy baby Rhyhorn, and a boy. Becoming a father—I'll remember that moment for the rest of my life._

_ Second born was our first daughter, a healthy baby Growlithe._

_ Third was another son, a rascally little Growlithe of a pup._

_ Fourth and fifth were two more daughters, both beautiful little Growlithe._

_ All five of them were healthy for Rhyhorn and Growlithe, respectively, and the three youngest all had inherited red eyes from their father._

As the little pups found their way to their mother's teets, I gave my lovely wife a long kiss.

"What're we going to name them?" I asked, my mind racing.

My beautiful wife grinned at me. Then, turning to the pups at her teets, she gently licked the baby Rhyhorn. "Ev, can we name our firstborn Theisen?"

I thought my heart would burst as I heard her.

"Yeah! Of course we can," I told her, beaming.

"And our second," she said softly, "can we call her Sierra?"

"Yeah, Cassie... that's a beautiful name!" I exclaimed.

The maternal Arcanine peered back up at me with misty eyes. "What do you want to name our second son?" she asked gently.

Pausing for a moment, I replied to her, "How about Aaron?"

Her face lit up in response. "Yes! That's a wonderful name," she said, smiling.

"And as for the youngest two," I began, "how about Lila and Rose?"

Cassie peered down at our two youngest, then looked back up at me, smiling. "They sound perfect," she told me happily.

I kissed her again, with all the love I had in me.

Drawing back, she giggled quietly.

"Hey, Ev?" she asked mildly.

"Yeah?" I asked with a smirk.

"You're a father now, aren't you?" she asked, beaming.

I snickered, then leaned in to kiss her again.

The Arcanine was glowing like I'd never seen her before. This was perhaps the most lovely she'd ever been—which was saying quite a bit.

"Cassie, I love you," I whispered to her sweetly.

"I love you, too, Evvie," she replied, beaming me a bright smile.

_The rest of our story isn't much to brag about. Cassie and I—and our family—were here at Greysent's beautiful sanctuary. We were together._

_ Greysent's sickness didn't last after all—as time continued to pass, it became more apparent that everything about the island was returning to how it should have been. It was returning not to when the humans arrived, but before that, even, before either of us could remember._

_ This really was Theisen's last gift to us. But more than that, it marked a new beginning._

_ The beginning of another stanza in Greysent's song. Cassie and I, our part in the story had come to a happy end._

_ Perhaps the rest of Greysent's story would be in the hands of others, the next generation._

_ I didn't know how the next part of Greysent's story would turn out, but I found myself wishing the best for her. For that matter, I found myself wishing the best for our family, too._


	14. Evander's Sonnet

It's hard to imagine a time back when

We weren't together, when you weren't my wife;

Since we met, the journey we shared has been

The best, yet most frightening time of my life.

Know that forever, those times are with me,

And though I can't write you a serenade,

The world of my dreams will forever be

A song of our hearts, from their feelings made.

If the future we share, the times ahead

Are as hard as our past, I still will try,

'Cause I'd sooner our fates together wed

Than to live this life and without you die.

For our hardships, I thank the gods above,

Because all the world's trials are worth this love.


End file.
